Tuesday, 14 August 2012

Heroines in Romance Novels

During the ‘Hero Blog Hop’ at the end of last month, someone
asked me if there was going to be a ‘Heroine Blog Hop’. As I haven’t seen one
advertised anywhere, I thought I’d take a look anyway at my heroines.

First of all, what’s my ideal romance novel heroine?

Gone are the days (thank heaven!) when heroines in romance
novels were wimps, waiting for the alpha heroes to seduce (if not actually
rape) and dominate them. Ugh, not my scene at all.

I want my heroines to be
independent and intelligent women. They don’t:

(a) think they’re ‘incomplete’ without a man, but they do
find joy in loving and being loved.

(b) want to dominate or be dominated, but
consider themselves equal.

(c) think of themselves as someone’s ‘other half’ but want
to bring to the relationship their whole self, and they want their man to do
the same.

They want a relationship with mutual respect, caring,
understanding and, of course, love. Of course, they’re not perfect – they may
have their inner insecurities or they make mistakes, but they’re prepared to
admit to these and do whatever they can to put things right.

In ‘His Leading Lady’, Jessica Harper is very much her own
person. She understands her twin sister Lora in a way no-one else really does
and her loyalty leads her to cover for Lora who’s gone missing on the eve of
rehearsals for a new West End show (in which Lora has the lead role). Jess can
hold her own with super-confident theatre director Kyle Drummond too, and
overcomes her own lack of confidence about taking on a lead role in London’s
West End. It’s her personality which eventually leads Kyle to show the tender,
more compassionate side of his nature.

One reviewer wrote: Jess
is by far my favorite character...strong willed, smart, and most of all REAL!
You can really connect to her character.

In ‘Fragrance of Violets’, Abbey Seton is at a low point in
her life. She’d had a successful acting career, but now she’s failed to get the
role she’d set her heart on, so she’s suffering a confidence crisis. She’s also
aware of her inability to ‘forgive and forget’ – first the father who abandoned
his family when she was younger, and then her best friend Jack Tremayne who, in
her mind, had ruined their friendship when they were in their teens. When Jack
comes back into her life, she’s forced to explore her own issues of forgiveness
and trust.

One reviewer wrote: Abbey's
prejudice is cleverly explained and my heart went out to her. I felt her anger
and disgust, her pain and disillusionment as she remembers how her father
abandoned his family and let them down time and time again.

In ‘Changing the Future’, Lisa has made a new life for
herself and her young son after Paul walks out of her life. When they meet
again, she has to come to terms with her anger and resentment, and eventually
with her realisation that Paul wasn’t the only one responsible for the break-up
of their earlier relationship.

In ‘Her Only Option’ (my next release in November), Neve
Dalton loves her life as a River Nile cruise ship tour guide. She loves her
independence too, and isn’t ready to settle down with her Egyptian boyfriend.
She’s not ready, either, to have her life turned upside-down by the compelling
archaeologist Ross McAllister. But she then has to make a heart-breaking
decision in order to protect the man who has set her soul on fire.

All my heroines commit themselves, heart and soul, to the
men they love – and at the same time, they learn more about themselves as they
struggle to overcome the problems which threaten to keep them apart.

Yup, I'd agree with all of those as well. I don't like the alpha anything, hero or heroine. I'm not fond of heroes who dominate, and I don't like heroines who do either. don't mind a heroine who's not quite strong in the beginning, if it's part of her growth. But not the kind wimpy where the hero's a jerk and she's just taking it. That kind of wimpy drives me batty, too.

If that makes any sense. lol Really, I prefer heroines who feel like you could meet them on the street.

See, I knew we thought alike, Joanne! I hate the brash alphas too - they're unrealistic to me. But maybe we should collaborate on a novel entitled 'The Wimp and the Jerk' LOLOL!! Seriously, though, one of the best compliments I ever had about one of my novels was that the characters were real people living real lives. The kind you could meet on the street, as you say.

Your Emma and Dillon were real people too, Joanne. That's why I enjoyed 'The Playboy's Baby' so much. Loved the moment when Dillon held Annie the first time! And yes, I will get around to writing a review on Amazon - just not had the time yet!

So do I, Rosemary - which is why I am completely at a loss to understand the current 'craze' for dominants and submissives (as in 50 Shades). Do women REALLY want (or fantasise about) that kind of relationship?? It's a total turn-off for me!

In a relationship, it doesn't really matter whether it's the man or the woman that puts in the effort, what matters most is appreciation and reciprocation. Stories that we read in romance novels may or may not happen in real life but one thing is for sure -- love binds the two of you together. Remember, you know your partner better than anyone ever will. :)